In the United States we have certain protected rights. Most of us are familiar with freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure, to name a few. But under U.S. law there are many other protected rights, including freedom from sexual discrimination, immigrants' rights and prisoners' rights, and the right to assemble and publicly protest government actions.

While these rights are part of our protection under U.S. law, they are at risk for being invalidated if we are not aware of them and if we do not stand up for them. The government under the Trump Administration has been working to nullify many of these rights, including those of immigrants, marginalized groups like LGBTQ people and people of other religions or race/ethnicities, and voters. The best defense against the Trump Administration attacks is being knowledgeable about the affected rights and making sure you are exercising those rights.

But you can't stand up for rights that you don't know about or understand. It's important to be aware and knowledgeable about our rights. Why? If you, or a member of your community, find yourself in a situation where your rights are being violated, the first step is knowing what those rights are. That knowledge gives you the necessary education to use those rights to prevent despotic and tyrannical actions in a democracy.

Today we're asking you to take a moment and educate yourself on a particular area of your rights under U.S. law. This will help you to be prepared on what you can do and what your legal protections are when you, or a community member of loved one, encounter a situation in which your rights are being threatened, or have been taken away.

When you click on an issue of interest, you'll see a list of potential situations for that issue on the left side of the webpage. On the right side are instructions and information on what to do in that situation.

For instance, information under "Stopped by Police: I've been pulled over by the police" includes:

Your rights

How to reduce risk to yourself

What to do if you are arrested or detained

If you believe your rights were violated

What you can do if you think you're witnessing police abuse or brutality

Thank you! With this information you will be prepared to stand up for yourself or for someone else in your community who is being threatened illegally by the government, and to prevent these rights from being nullified by an administration that is attempting to do so.

GOOD NEWS

Trump has withdrawn nominee Stephen Moore for a board seat on the Federal Reserve. Moore is a conservative commentator whose writings contained disparaging comments about women. Also, according to the New York Times, "Several Republicans joined Democrats in passing bills to condemn American military action in Yemen and Mr. Trump’s executive order to divert funds to build a border wall, which Mr. Trump vetoed." - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/business/stephen-moore-fed.html.

At the Washington State Labor Council in the Central District, 321 16th Avenue. This meeting venue is wheelchair-accessible, and can be reached by King County Metro buses 7, 14, 27, and 106, and the First Hill Streetcar.